


Give Me Warmth, Give Me Christmas Cheer

by Thestorans



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Christmas fic, Fluff, M/M, More Fluff, and fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2854517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thestorans/pseuds/Thestorans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe the cure wasn't soup, maybe it was right in front of him. </p><p>Or, two strangers who have no sense of Christmas cheer as they cough their way through the holidays, apparently have the same appeal in soup.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me Warmth, Give Me Christmas Cheer

Why now? People were supposed to get colds in between the changing seasons, not right before Christmas, a time for cheer and happiness, but instead he's shuffling down the soup aisle, one hand clutched to his brown trench coat, the other stuffed into his pocket.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, that's all he needed, one small tin of miserable curing medicine that will wipe away the massive headache and dry throat. Harry had taken pills all night long, canceling his parents invitation to dinner to stay at home and cough his vocal cords out. He just wanted to get better and curl up by the Christmas tree, opening presents and watching other people open presents that he was happy to give. But no, he was in a deserted gas station-the only thing opened-with two day old socks on, some stained pajamas and matted hair, and a big red nose and droopy eyes just tying his miserable appearance up. He was almost glad that there was just an old man reading the news paper at the front counter, obviously having nothing else to do on Christmas Eve.

But wait, God dammit, he sees the bell ring and almost ducks but realizes that would just give him more attention, the sound of dragged slippers and never-ending sniffles gradually comes closer till a boy around his age, in the same state as he is, is walking down the soup aisle, both hands clasped around a dirty and ancient jacket.

The boy doesn't bother looking up, but he can see the piercing blue eyes through the curtain of blonde hair, focused all gloomy and tired down at the floor. And he almost forgot the soup, an alarm going through his mind as the boy goes for the exact can, which, seems to be the last one, and Harry's stubborn and cold and so done with Christmas and body shivers that he just flings his hand out and grabs it, hands clutching it to his chest.

 _"You dumb shit head."_ He growls in his mind, staring down wide eyed at the fragile looking boy, who lets out a surprised wheeze and then a lung-rattling cough. Clasping onto his chest while slowly lifting his head, dazed and exhausted eyes just stare blankly at him.

"I-I'm so sorry, God I'm such a bastard, here-cough-have it." Harry croaked out, hands coming out to fiddle awkwardly with the other boys, his mind dazed and on cloud nine staring at that boys face, how memorizing it was. He places the can of his beloved soup into the boys palm, the boy weakly clutching onto it. But then he softens his hold and shakes his head, floppy and knotted blonde hair shifting off his face. "No, you seemed-cough-seemed pretty sincere on having-wheeze-it." The boy shakily brings out his hands and takes a hold of Harry's, but Harry holds tightly-as tightly as his weak state can hold-onto the boys hand and re-grasping the can into the boys hands. "You look like you need it more then me." Harry says and gives the boy a weak smile, patting the boney and flushed knuckles and then moving past him, walking down the aisle, just ready to go home and forget about the world, have another disgusting cup of coffee since he had no money to buy tea, his plans for soup in bed were crushed, but a flutter in his chest made him smile, because that beautiful boy should be smiling, it would look way more better on him. He kind of felt a pang of jealousy, sad that he didn't get to meet the boy in his happiness, see those electrifying blue eyes even more lively then they already were. He wishes he could be in the shoes of the people that got to be in his presence while he was shinning with smiles and wrinkly-cornered eyes.

Suddenly, a hand was holding onto his shoulder, spinning him around making him let out a surprised sniffle, seeing that beautiful boy once again, giving him a weary smile. "Uhm, I-I'm lonely this Christmas, and since we're both sick and need a little soup, d-do you want to come to my house?" The boy was staring down at the ground, a dark blush spreading across his chubby cheeks. The flutter in Harry's stomach was now engulfed in flames, his whole body feeling hot with love and happiness.

"Yeah-yeah, I mean, uhm, what's your name?" He asks, his throat scorching up making him wince. The boy blushed hard, slapping a hand to his forehead and letting out a rumbly and hoarse chuckle. "I'm so sorry, Niall, Niall Horan." He says and flys a hand out, Harry taking it and giving it a stiff shake, holding onto it, just wanting to make that boy-Niall-blush even more.

"Harry, Harry Styles" He says and then let's it go, Niall slowly bringing his pale hand back to his chest, the deep blush covering his whole face. "Well, Harry Styles, shall we die together?" Niall asks with a small chuckle making him start hacking. Harry chuckled and took the can of soup while he patted Niall's back, bringing it up to the now confused and rather annoyed store clerk, handing the man the money and giving him a nod, waving his hand out when the man tried to give him his change. Niall was still hacking when he got back to the end of the soup aisle, the blonde looking up with a hand knotted into his coat, eyes trailing down to the bag in Harry's hands, an offended gasp leaving his mouth as he snatched for the bag, Harry chuckled and lifted it above his head so the boy couldn't grab at it. "You pay-"

"Your car or mine?" Harry interrupted cheekily, making Niall glare teasingly at him. "I walked, I don't have that kind of money yet." Niall said, un-amusingly brushing off the recent event.

They both walked to his dump of a car, both scrambling into it and turning on the heater, sighing as the heat blew in their frozen and stuffed faces. "You walked in this?" Harry asked suddenly, very curious on how such a sick and already deathly pale boy could take such weather. Niall sighed and laid his head back on the car seat, shutting his eyes for a second and then reopening them to stare into Harry's. They stared at each other for a while till Niall spoke breathlessly, "Took a cab." And Harry let out a chuckle, starting the car that let out a rumble before starting, listening to Niall's wrecked voice croak out the directions to his flat.

-x-x-

Harry made the soup, since Niall was already hacking up a storm, flattening himself on his couch.

Once he was done with the soup, the hot steam orbiting around the kitchen making him sigh in relief, feeling the hot stream flow past his ears, eyes and down his deserted throat. The stove turned off and he took the pot off the burner, taking out two large bowls and dumping the soup equally into them, walking out with them both, spoons placed neatly inside.

"Soups on." He said, jumping Niall awake making him want to smile adoringly at the fluttering eyes and strands of hair poking up on one side. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep." The blonde let out another embarrassing chuckle, patting down his spiked hair and then slowly getting up into a sitting position, letting out a huff of thanks and immediately bringing the steaming hot soup to his lips, not even wincing at the hot liquid coming in contact with his tongue.

Harry joined Niall on the couch a second later, both shoveling down their soups, the sound of metal spoons clinking against the porcelain bowls.

"That was amazing Harry, thank you." Niall said, a baffled expression on his face. "Just the smallest bit of salt and pepper and your giggling." Harry said, poking at Niall's red nose making the blonde giggle and blush. "Like I said." He said cheekily earning a playful but weak slap to the arm. "Don't be cheeky." Niall said while still laughing, causing another coughing fit.

Harry was surprised that he hasn't coughed since the gas station, maybe the cure wasn't the soup, maybe it was right in front of him.

He smiled at that, an instinct he knew was from deep inside of him taking over, making him take Niall's hands and pull him down to his chest, resting his head against the armrest of the shitty and ripped up couch.

"Sorry," Harry said half heartedly, not really meaning it, his head was fuzzy, but not from sickness, but from love.

Niall didn't protest, just smiled up at Harry, snuggling his nose into his chest, sniffling and letting out a short cough before silence went over them, taking them over and dragging them into a peaceful sleep that they both desperately needed.

-x-x-

Harry awoke to the same weight against his chest, opening his eyes to soft blonde hair tickling his chin, a hand held loosely against his shirt. He was smiling ear to ear, the sickness he had-he doesn't even remember having one-was gone, the only thoughts and feelings flooding through his mind was pure love and ' _never let me go.'_

Suddenly, lips were pressed to his, soft and delicate, stiff but stern. A hot breath mixing with his, a soft sigh leaving his lips, breathing in the sent of his new found love. Niall pulled back, his face growing red again, hands pressing against his chest to shakily get up and sit between his long legs. "I'm sorry, you were thinking, and you had a pout onyour face... You just looked so handsome and, we just met-"

Harry shut him up with a smack on the lips, bolting up and wrapping his arms around the blondes waist, legs wrapping around his body, tangling them back together. They didn't separate until Niall let out a cough, making a farting sound with their lips together, Niall gasping and sitting back on his bum, holding his hand to his mouth.

Harry chuckled and shook his head, bringing a hand up to thread through the blonde locks, pushing them back to reveal sweat. "Still sick I guess?" Harry asked, pulling his hand back to swipe through his own matted hair. "Yeah, you look good as new though." Niall said, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Harry's. A silence went over them once again, peaceful and calm.

"Oh my god." Niall suddenly said, sitting up once again. "It's christmas," he said letting out a laugh. "And I'm not even at my house, calling my mom and telling her that I can't come cause of this stupid sickness, hacking in bed looking like shit, I so expected that and now, look at me, look at us, this is the best present ever." Niall babbled, bringing Harry in for a hug making him smile, tightening his grip on the emotional man.

"Yeah, yeah it is." He whispered, bringing his lips to the boys ear, kissing at it making him giggle.

And in the end everything turned out to be what it wasn't and was supposed to be. Yeah, there was an extra soup hidden in the back of the cans, and yeah Niall could have just taken the soup and be on his way, Harry could've taken another, but christmas was full of miracles. A bad start to a happy ending, Merry Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> Have a great Christmas, Hanukkah, or just a damn good holiday :)


End file.
